The Punjab Forest and Wildlife Preservation Department is preparing a series of innovative plans for the year 2025-26, with a key focus on launching a pilot project to plant large, flowering saplings along major highways. Proposed locations include stretches such as Sangrur, Jalandhar to Amritsar road, Pathankot to Amritsar, Sri Anandpur Sahib, and Khatkar Kalan village on the Phagwara–Chandigarh Road.
To further promote environmental awareness, a poetry competition will be held on July 23 in Batala to commemorate the birth anniversary of renowned Punjabi poet Shiv Kumar Batalvi. The contest, themed around trees and environmental conservation, will be open to Primary, Middle, Secondary school and college students, with cash prizes awarded to the top three winners in each category.
In a significant step toward increasing forest cover, the Punjab government has announced the ‘Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Haryaval Sankalp’, targeting the plantation of 3.5 lakh saplings per district during 2025-26.
Chairing a review meeting at the Forest Complex in Sector 68, Forest and Wildlife Preservation Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak was informed by senior department officials about several upcoming initiatives. Van Mahotsavs will be celebrated in every district, and saplings will be provided to the public at a nominal rate of Rs. 2 each.
Additionally, Compensatory Afforestation will cover 582.252 hectares, while soil and water conservation efforts will begin across 50 hectares in Pathankot district.
Under the Green Punjab Mission, the plan is to plant 3.31 lakh saplings across 331 hectares in schools, colleges, and premises of Punjab Mandi Board and Markfed. Furthermore:
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52 ‘Pavittar Vans’ will be created under the Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Pavittar Van scheme.
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289 ‘Nanak Bagichis’ will be set up in educational institutes.
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93 more will be established in industrial areas.
For link road beautification, the department aims to plant 2.5 lakh saplings of Poplar and Drek varieties, along with 3 lakh Eucalyptus saplings.
Appreciating the plantation roadmap, the Minister stressed the need to promote agroforestry, which supports biodiversity, and underlined the importance of public awareness on environmental protection to secure a healthy environment for future generations.
Senior officials present at the meeting included Dharminder Sharma (Principal Chief Conservator of Forests), Saurav Gupta (APCCF cum CEO, PUNCAMPA), Basanta Raj Kumar (APCCF – Administration), Nidhi Srivastava (CCF – Hills), and Mr. Kannan (CF – Shivalik Circle).